To start your Mac in safe mode, the steps vary depending on whether your Mac has Apple silicon or an Intel processor.
For Macs with Apple silicon (M1, M2 chips, etc.):
- Shut down your Mac completely by choosing Apple menu > Shut Down and wait until the screen is black and all lights are off.
- Press and hold the power button until you see "Loading startup options."
- Select your startup disk.
- Press and hold the Shift key, then click "Continue in Safe Mode."
- Your Mac will restart in safe mode. When the login window appears, you should see “Safe Boot” in the menu bar
For Intel-based Macs:
- Turn on or restart your Mac.
- Immediately press and hold the Shift key as your Mac starts up.
- Release the Shift key when you see the login window.
- Log in to your Mac. You might be asked to log in twice if FileVault is enabled.
- You should see “Safe Boot” in the menu bar at the login window, confirming safe mode is active
How to confirm you are in safe mode:
- Open the Apple menu while holding the Option key, select System Information, then go to Software.
- Look at the "Boot Mode" entry: it will say "Safe" if you are in safe mode, or "Normal" if not.
- The login window also displays “Safe Boot” in the upper-right corner
To exit safe mode, simply restart your Mac without holding any keys during startup. Safe mode is useful for troubleshooting issues by loading only essential software and disabling startup items, fonts, and caches
